Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #14

If you’re just joining us, the hunt begins at www.LisaBergren.com, with Stop #1. If you complete the loop of 26 stops and write down the clue on each author’s site, you can enter to win all 25 books as well as Amazon gift cards, an iPad and more!

Without further ado, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to my guest for the Scavenger Hunt, Jody Hedlund! I’ve only known Jody by name and by her books (which are fantastical, by the way!), but recently I was able to meet her in person. She was kind to a shy author like me and made me feel welcome. So when I discovered I would be hosting her on my blog, I was excited!

Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over twenty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award. When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

Here’s the summary of her latest book:

Sophie Neumann and her two young charges join a group of orphans heading west by train, hoping to find safety and a happy life. When the train stops in Illinois for the first placement of orphans, Sophie faces the most difficult choice of her life. Reinhold Weiss has finally purchased his own small farm. With mounting debts, a harvest to bring in, and past scars that haunt him, he’s in no position to give his heart away . . . but can he say no when his long-lost friend shows up on a nearby train pleading for his help?

I’ve recently entered a new stage of life where my home is beginning to empty. Three of my five kids are away at college. And the two left are very independent.

Not only does my new stage entail more uninterrupted writing time, but I’ve also found myself having more free time too.

Free time?! *Gasp* What is that?!

To be honest, I haven’t had free time in so long that I don’t know how to relax very well anymore. Rather than enjoy the down time, sometimes I drum up more work for myself.

Even though I listen to audio books and wind down with a book in bed, I’ve always dreamed about having more reading time. And yet, those few evenings when I’ve allowed myself the pleasure of sitting down with a book, I admit, I always feel slightly guilty. Often, instead of losing myself in a book, I make myself do other “more productive” things like bake or take a walk or finally clear out the dying flowers in the pots on the front porch.

The truth is, it’s all too easy to let reading take a back burner, isn’t it?

But the other truth I’ve learned over the years is that there will ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS be something demanding our attention. Our modern culture is a harsh task master with never-ending to-do lists. Our society subtly sends us the message that the busier we are the better off we’ll be.

So we get ourselves and our kids involved in everything until we’re running ourselves ragged. We’re on the go most of the time, and our down-time turns into staring at the TV screen because we’re too tired to do anything else.

We need to add white space back in to our lives that have become over-crowded. Can we even say that if we don’t add in white space—quiet, meditative, sedentary time to our daily schedules—we run the risk of increasing physical and mental health breakdown?

My challenge to myself and to you, is to buy one of the books on this scavenger hunt or check one out from the library. Then make time in the day (or evening) to read it—without feeling guilty.

And if you’re already an avid reader, then make a point of sending a friend or relative to this scavenger hunt. Tell them about your favorite authors. And encourage them to read more.

What about you? Do YOU ever feel guilty for reading? Why or why not? Do you agree that many of us need to clear more white space into our lives, including time for pleasure reading?

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Thanks for stopping by on the hunt! Before you go, make sure you WRITE DOWN THIS CLUE:

Life can be very stressful, so to include some time in your life is beneficial. Quiet time helps the mind, the body, and the soul. The world needs to take a break (people go crazy when the internet is out for 30min).

I definitely feel guilty about taking the time out to read, especially when there’s always so much work that needs done around the house. I think it should be more of a priority and people should be encouraged to take the break and chill out with a good book a lot more often.

Very rarely do I feel guilty for reading; it’s too often a lifeline for this introvert who needs downtime away from people and all the thoughts and anxieties that try to crowd my head. The more white space the better! The more pleasure reading the better!

I’m a reading addict. The couch. The bed. At stop lights. I can’t feel guilty about it because I love it so much. My challenge is to make sure that I don’t get so lost that I forget the world around me.

I do feel guilty sometimes for reading novels because I feel like I should be reading something educational. However, it helps so much that you as authors do excellent research and choose interesting cultural aspects to incorporate into your stories, so I can learn something while also enjoying a relaxing, fun read.

Sometimes I do feel guilty for reading because of the things I’m not getting done while I’m lost in another world, but it is an aspect of maintaining my sanity in busy times! Thanks for the giveaway and participating in the hunt!

You’re a new author to me and your books sound interesting. I am a voracious reader, reading whenever I can. I once planned out a whole day to just read a book before the next one came out (it was a very long book).

I love to read and I don’t feel guilty one bit! I think because I’m fairly good at balancing my reading w/ the “have-tos” of my life (altho being retired now there really aren’t many “have-tos”!) Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of your book. I look forward to reading it.

I don’t ever feel guilty for reading because I have reading time set aside during times when there’s nothing else I should be doing (every night before bed, or sitting in a waiting room). It works really well and I’ve read every day since I was little. 🙂

My problem is I want to do everything, but don’t know how to juggle it all: a part-time job, cleaning house, writing, reading, cooking. I have one in college and one at home. Even though I’m only running one son around town, I don’t get as much done as I’d like or think I should.

I do sometimes feel guilty about reading because if I’m captivated by the book I don’t want to put it down at the expense of dinner or family time. Other times I don’t feel guilty, it’s my escape from reality!

I’ve often thought that I would be completely lost if I couldn’t lose myself in a good book. For me, it’s a necessary thing. My biggest problem, though, is realizing there are things I SHOULD do instead of reading – like clean my house, do my laundry, etc.

Can’t wait for this release! So glad to see Bethany House putting out a new fantasy series, too. And I agree with Jody. I grew up being yelled at for “laying around reading,” as my dad called it. He would make up chores for me to do if he found me reading a book, even if I had finished mine already. But, oddly, watching TV was approved and encouraged.

I run in fifty different directions all day long and then straight into feeding and tending to the farm animals until well after dark. Finally, at the literal end of the day, I sit down and lose myself in a good book. Stay up too late reading? Probably. Plan to stop doing that? No. 🙂 Your book looks interesting. It’s out of my normal genre but I can step out of my box.

I do feel guilty sometimes, because I feel like I could be neglecting my responsibilities or missing out on some life experiences. However, it has been a long time since I have been able to read for fun for more than ten minutes, so I think it would be ok for me to take some time to read when I have more free time.

I used to feel guilty for reading when my children were younger. Now that I’m older and retired, I don’t feel guilty at all. Reading is one of my greatest pleasures, and I spend a lot of time doing it.

Guilty for reading a book??? Absolutely not.
Now, having a few thousand e-books and having authors constantly asking, “Have you read my book yet?” … that can stress me out sometimes… but then I turn around and find more e-books to get anyway. That’s me .. hopeless reading fanatic who doesn’t read that many books in a year…
Even I gasped when I realized how many “new-to-me” authors I’ve found as well as “trusty” authors and read at least one book by in the past year already – and connected on FB!

I think that taking some time out for yourself is a good thing to do. We have to care for ourselves just as much as we need to care for others. If reading a book is relaxing to you, then you should take the time to do it, without feeling guilty about it.

Morgan, I’m a huge fan! I’ve read all of your books so far and have enjoyed every one of them. I can’t wait to read this new one. I read around 15-20 books a month, so I may have to wait until the price comes down though! LOL! Kim

I always have a book or a fully-loaded kindle in my bag at all times, (often both!), and pull it out whenever I have a few uninterrupted minutes: my lunch break, waiting to get my oil changed, waiting at a doctor’s office, waiting where ever. We do a lot of waiting in this hurry-it-up, busy day and age.

And of course, I usually go to bed early so I can spend more time reading before I fall asleep at night.

I love to read and did a lot more of it when I was younger. Now it seems so many other things, along with trying to stay writing, take up that time. I cherish a few minutes before bed to dive into a book but my list of “to read” is long. I just have to keep at it.

I have felt guilty about reading since I had kiddos. Having 4 doesn’t leave me much time for reading. But I look forward to reading being one of the things I do for my therapy and self care. I love reading and am looking forward to getting back to it. Thanks for the reminder and more books to read!

I’ve always made time to read, but there are times when I’ve felt guilty. It helps if my reading is a reward after finishing certain tasks or projects. I actually put reading on my list of things to do!

I ALWAYS felt guilty for reading when I was in nursing school. Nowadays my problem is I feel guilty because I don’t spend enough time reading. I have so many great books I haven’t read and yet I spend so much time on the internet or doing other unimportant things.

I feel guilty when there’s things to be done around the house, or if I’m reading a book at a family gathering. Sometimes though, vacation is one of the only times you can read. When you’re stuck in the same, tiny room with a million bodies squished in to it like a can or sardines, you need to get out and read a book. I’ll feel guilty about it later, but it really helps with my anxiety being around so many people in such small quarters.

I’ve used the time I spend nursing my littles to do lots of reading, but my youngest is getting older and I’m finding less time for it now! I need to buckle down and make myself read more – I feel happier when I do.
I love to read – I would get grounded from it as a kid! 🙂

I’m not sure if my last post went through. I don’t see it, so I apologize if this is a double.
I used to read a lot, as a kid (I would get grounded from reading!) and when nursing my littles. The youngest is slowly weaning, though, so I find myself reading less. It’s time to make myself do it more!

Thanks for participating in the scavenger hunt and giving me another author to add to my goodreads want to read list 🙂

There have been times where I have felt guilty about reading, especially when there is housework that needs to be done. Other times I don’t feel guilty one bit when there is housework that needs to be done, LOL! Just depends on how I’m feeling at the time. I want to read more but I always find other things to waste time on. I have planned time in my day to read but it always seems like something interrupts that, so I just try to carry a book with me wherever I go and read it as I have time. However, I am VERY guilty of staying up waaaaay past my bedtime just to find time to read.

How Exciting !!! I see women dressed as warriors and it reminds me to be strong and press on. Reading is great ! I write, but I have influenced for Christian Fiction Authors now for 7 years ! always always have my kindle with me or kindle app on my phone!
I loved Jane and the Dragon, when the kids would watch it I would too !!!

Thank you for taking part in the scavenger hunt. I am looking forward to checking out your books.
I have felt guilty for not reading, but rarely ever for reading. I think reading helps keep me centered. Often people will come up to me and ask me what I’m reading and I’m quick to return the favor.

What about you? Do YOU ever feel guilty for reading? Why or why not? Do you agree that many of us need to clear more white space into our lives, including time for pleasure reading?

Yes! I feel guilty, both because I don’t devote the same amount of time that I used to – to reading ang that I spend anytime reading at all. My work at home and at my job is never caught up. I definitely am in favor of more white space in our lives. I think I’d love to move to or have the US adopt the slower pace of some South American and other countries, that say what will be, will be.

Yes, I do feel guilty for reading a lot because here’s what happens: I love to read so much, and I get very engrossed in books, that once I begin a story I have a hard time putting down. I will forgo responsibilities and stay up until 1am to keep reading…it’s a bit of a problem hahaha.

I’m a single lady, no kids, so luckily my time has pretty much always been my own and I definitely spend a lot of time reading. During my eldercare days, while it had to be curtailed some it gave a wonderful respite from the stress of caring for Mom & Dad. Reading only interferes in life if I stay up too late so am a bit foggy at work!

I’m a reader. It is a necessity for me, it has been since I learned to put two words together to form a sentence. I’m a newly minted 60 year old with a VAST book collection & I read everywhere – during commercials, on my iPhone while waiting for a table/food in restaurants, while I’m eating (if I’m by myself), when I can’t sleep, when a favorite author has a new book out … you get the drift. Reading can take me places I may never get to travel to (or never get to go to again), allows me to go on adventures of a lifetime, keeps my mind sharp as I attempt to figure out “whodunnit” before the conclusion of the book, be challenged to grow as a Christian, learn life lessons, learn some life skills that may be needed in this crazy world and have had the honor and privilege to meet some wonderful authors that I now consider friends. READING is lifechanging! If you can read, you can do almost anything!

I totally agree! I’ve been talking with my friends recently about desperately wanting to add more reading time into my schedule. But by the time night comes and I finally have some alone time? I’m purely exhausted and rather turn on mindless television or go to sleep. Yes, I listen to audio books while I work, and I’m certainly glad for that feature…but I miss reading! Maybe I’ll just have to go ahead, take the challenge and add some reading time into my daily schedule. ☺️

I completely agree with it feeling as a guilty pleasure but I am always amazed how reading helps me destress. Something about getting lost in another world or adventure gives me an opportunity to come back to mine well resteda

I don’t feel guilty about reading, unless I’m reading too late…. I usually feel guilty about not reading. I like being able to mostly read a book all at once so when I can’t I tend not to read and then miss not reading.